Padma Shri Brigadier T. Sailo AVSM

A Legend passes away

Early life as the son of a Sailo Chieftain

Brigadier Thenphunga Sailo was bom in 1922 to Vanchheuva Sailo, Chief of Thuampui, and Hrangvungi. By custom, he would inherit the mantle of Chiefship upon the death of his father.

Around the time of his birth, the English Baptist Missionaries had brought the message of Christianity to the then Lushai Hills. His mother wanted to embrace Christianity fervently and found the life and excesses of a Chiefs house incongruent with the teachings of Christ. This meant leaving the house of the Chief, with the young Thenphunga, and living the life of a single mother. A life of poverty and Christian values would instill frugality, modesty, discipline, and the fear of God; reflected all throughout his life. The high cost of the pursuit of truth was ingrained in him as a child.

He commenced school at the age of nine. At the time, the British administration encouraged the sons of the Chiefs to get an education up to the Middle English Standard to facilitate communication and administration of the hill areas when they became Chief.

However, a brilliant academic aptitude provisioned for scholarships that would allow him to study up to the undergraduate level, in Serampore College. Here he would study with Captain Williamson Sangma (former Chief Minister of Meghalaya), Major Lalhmingliana (former Chief Secretary of Himachal Pradesh) among others. Yet, his dream of becoming a mathematician was cut short by war and in 1942, the euphoria of war saw him joining the British Army as a commissioned officer.

A Soldier - First & Last

Beginning with his first posting at the 2 Punjab Training Centre in Meerut, he would spend the next 32 years of his life in the Army.

As the Second World War raged across Southeast Asia and onto the borders of india, he would spend considerable time in the Burma theatre, first in the Chin Hills where he was posted in April 1943.

After the Japanese Imperial army had occupied Burma, Sailo ‘Bawipa’, as the Chins called him, was ordered to stay back in occupied Burma and lead the Chins who wanted to fight the Japanese. Soon, he would be called upon to undertake a specialized intelligence and espionage mission (the 'E Group] and lead an elite team to collect intelligence, befriend locals and organize rescue bases for pilots shot down in Burma. He would later recall that the duration of the mission was -‘Unknownl!’ They would not carry any rations/food and were told to ‘live off the land’! The British government recognized his gallantry and was Mentioned in Dispatches twice during the Burma campaign. Because of his skills in the art of war, physical combat and instinct of survival, even inbetween the war, he did brief stints as in-charge of the Battle School and as an Instructor in Jungle Warfare. He was then made Company Commander of the recce battalion-a prized assignment for an infantry man. In his own words, "Ever since my commissioning as an officer, was lucky to be in the thick of fighting operations.”

In the midst of war and uncertainty he fell in love with Thansiami, daughter of F S. Dahrawka. They married on 17 September 1946 at the Dawrpui Church in Aizawl. Together, they raised a family of three sons and a daughter.

In 1947 he moved to 1 Assam in Imphal where he made friends with Captain Maharaja BB Singh of Manipur, the then Chief Minister of Manipur and Major Bob Khathing, MC, the then Hill Minister. In 1950, he moved to 3 Assam in Rajouri where the regiment moved to a high ground facing Pakistan position. In 1957 he was posted to 192 Mountain Brigade at Mokokchung Naga hills.

in 1960 he was tasked with raising the 4 Assam and train it for war, a rare privilege and honour, a landmark in a soldier's career. In 1962, the 4th Assam under his command was airlifted to NEFA. At Hayuliang, the forward most position of the Indian army, they stood facing the Chinese. On 17/18 November 1962, they braced themselves for the on-slaught of the might of the Chinese army but suddenly the Chinese called off the operations.

In 1966 he was promoted to Brigadier and at Sela Pass, he commanded the 1 Mountain Brigade, which included 3 regiments-5 Gorkha, 17 Sikh and 1 Mahar, a tough command. The under-equipped soldiers felt extremely cold because ofthe high altitude and wind. Not knowing what to do,he appealed to the grit of the

Sikh, the Naga, and the Mizo soldiers, passing a written order, "Nobody will feel cold. Anyone found feeling or appearing to feel cold, will be suitably punished.” it appears that the soldiers so loved their commander that they obeyed.

In 1967, he was posted as a Brigadier in Dhana, near Sagar in Madhya Pradesh where he raised a Brigade. In 1969 he moved to Danapur, Patna as Sub Area Commander of Bihar and Orissa. In 1971, Bihar was ravaged with an unprecedented flood causing havoc and loss of life. When the Bihar Government asked the Army to take up the rescue work, he became Director of Relief Operations. He was awarded the AVSM [Ati Vashisht Sewa Medal] for his services.

Human Rights - The struggle for the Honour of Mizos

The call to defend man and country became his single most important self-identification. Years later, he would write an autobiography titled, ‘A Soldier's Story.’ Yet, when he learnt that soldiers of the Indian Army were committing acts of atrocities and denying all the 'decencies of human rights’ to the Mizo people during the insurgency years, he fought to set right what was wrong. He set up a Human Rights Committee of Mizoram (possibly one of the first in India) and travelled the length and breadth of the State to educate both soldiers and civilians of the rights of civilians in conflict situations.

He worked tirelessly to bring back the honour of the Mizo people, which he saw being violated and, to return the respect of the Indian Army which had withered among the people. He reasoned with the then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi of the dangers of what was happening and the consequences of the widening mistrust that existed between the Mizo people and the Indian Army. His efforts to rebuild that gap achieved huge success. He would say, “Mizo is in my blood and the Indian army is in my flesh and bones.”

Public Life - A Life of deep commitment

⁰⁰Unable to resist the tide of calls for a life in the service of the people, Brigadier, along with his colleagues, formed the People's Conference (PC: now MPC) in 1975. Yet, soon after the establishment of the Party, the proclamation of

Emergency would render him in the Nalbari and Nowgong special jails in1976 along with many other political leaders all across India.

However, at the first election that took place thereafter in 1978, PC party won with a two thirds majority and he became Chief Minister. This government was short lived but the result of the subsequent election ensured a full term, during which he championed the cause of fulfillment of the felt basic needs of the people of Mizoram, namely: self sufficiency in Food, Water Supply, Power, Communication, Transport System and Rural Development.

Peers and those who worked with him for the development of the State remember his spirit as fervent and his determination steely. The vision he presented during his tenure remains a blueprint and a strategy for the development of the entire State. Of the efforts that he put towards development, he would write, “My biggest satisfaction is that I gave my best for the good of Mizoram. I worked hard, very hard, except when I slept (4-5 hours a day). But above all, God guided me in all that I did."

He started the Zoro movement with the idea of re-unification of all Mizos across States and boundaries.

Years later, he was awarded the Padma Shri by the President of India for his work in Mizoram; and a Certificate by the Mizo Zirlai Pawl (Students’ Union). proclaiming him the cleanest politician.

In the twilight years of his life, he spent many evenings with his children and grandchildren marveling at the faith and conviction of his mother whose values steered him through life and the lessons learnt growing up in poverty.

Driven by his love for his people, their honour and their development, in his last address in the Legislative Assembly about a year before he passed away, the Brigadier spoke thus, “Have a party-less obsession with the development of the State; make the Legislative Assembly the the traditional ethos of ‘'tlawmngaihna’ which represents the social ethics of honesty, transparency, justice and diligence.”